Ladder attachment



H. HUNT.

LADDER ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION man JULY12, 1920.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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LADDER ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED JULY 1.2, 1920.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT; OFFICE.

HOMER HUNT, OF HARTFORD; CONNECTICUT.

LADDER ATTACHMENT.

Application filed. July 12,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOMER HUNT, cltizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladder Attachments, of which the following is EtSPGClfiCfLtlOIl.

This invention relates to improvements 1n ladder attachments capable of use in connection with ladders of various styles.

An important object of this invention is to provide a ladder attachment having novel means whereby the same may be readily and conveniently attached to one leg of a ladder so to position the same, whereby the ladder may be used on a stairway or other incline. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a device of the class described especially adapted for attachment to the legs of a ladder so as to increase the effective length of the ladder.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a ladder attachment of the character described which is safe, durable and cheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of. the following description. I

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same: 7

. Figure 1 is a side elevation of a step ladder having the attachment applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of a straight ladder having-the attachment applied thereto,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the attachment applied, one position of the extension being illustrated in dotted lines,

. Fig. 4 is a group perspective of the attachment, I

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on l1ne 55 of Fig.3, '7

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation of the attachment applied, the view illustrating a portion of the adjusting means.

"In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration vis shown a preferred embodiment'of the invention, the numeral 10 generally designates a ladder whichin Fig. 1 is provided with a hinged prop 11 connected intermediate its ends to the ladder proper by Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

1920. Serial 'No. 395,465.

a connecting element 12. The ladder attachment may be applied to the sides 13 of the ladder or to the prop 11 or both, so as to properly position the ladder when it is desired to use the same.

The attachment comprises a plate 15 of elongated formation having its end portions enlarged laterally and apertured to form pairs of apertured ears 16 through which bolts 17 are extended for connecting U- shaped brackets or guides 18 to the ends of the body. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, an extension leg 20 is to be extended-through the brackets 18' and is provided'with a metallic plate 21 having a plurality of apertures 22 therethrough adapted to receive the shanks of thumb bolts 24: having threaded engagement with the intermediate portions of the brackets. By extending the extensionleg 20 through the brackets 1:8 and engaging the thumb bolts with the extension leg 20, the effective length of the leg may be varied at will.

The plate 15 may be adjustably connected to one side or leg of the ladder by means of an L-shaped tongue 26 having a stud bolt 28 which is adapted to extend through one of the pair of openings 30 in a laterally projecting ear 32 formed at one side of the plate. When the stud bolt 28 of the L-shaped tongue is extended through one of the apertures 30, a wing nut 34 is threaded onto the studbolt so as to adjustably connect the L-shaped tongue to the plate. The L-shaped tongue is adapted to engage one side and edge of a leg of the latter and when the wing nut is tightened, the body will be firmly secured to the ladder.

With particular reference to Figs. 4, 6 and 7, it will be observed that a pair of U-shaped lugs 38 are arranged at one side of the body and are connected to the same by the bolts 17 the bolt-holes in the lugs being eccentrically disposed, as shown in Fig. 4. When it is desired to adjust the extension leg angularly with relation to the ladder, the wing nut 34 may be loosened so as to allow the leg to be swung into the desired position. The U-shaped lugs 38 may now be engaged with the adjacent portions of the ladder so as to prevent movement of the extension leg with relation to the ladder. An adjusting 'bolt 40 is threaded through one branch of the L-shaped tongue 26 and may also be .engaged with the ladder to cooperate with the U-shaped lugs 38 in securing theextension leg in an adjusted position. More specifically, the lugs 38 may by a pivotal movement be brought into contact with the sides of a ladder so as to secure the extension leg in an adjusted position. As illustrated in'Fig. 3, the lower U-shaped lug 38 may by a piv otal movement have its end brought into contact with a side of the ladder andthe upper U-shaped lug may have its side flatly engaged with the ladder. Upon first adj usting the lugs 38, the bolt 40 may be securely engaged with the side of the ladder and thereby secure the extension leg firmly in an adjusted position. Upon drawing the L- shaped tongue to engagement with the ladderthe same is brought into contact with van ;L-shaped bracket 46 carried by the .plate 15. t 1

The tongue 26 is engaged around an edge of the ladder leg and against the side of the same remote from the plate 15 below a step or rung of the ladder and, when in place, rests upon-the bracket 46 so that dropping .of the ladder is prevented after the bolts 28 and 40 have been properly secured. The insertion of the bolt 28 .through one' or another opening 30 adjuststhe device to the width of the ladder leg-rand the provision of the set nut 34 cooperating with said bolt obviously permits the tongue to accommodate ladder legs of different. thicknesses. When the bolt 40 is turned home, it, of course-,engages the edge of the ladder leg and forces the same against the bracket 46 and against the lugs 38 so that the leg will be securely clamped between the said bolt and the bracket46 and the lugs 38. As previously stated, the'lugs 38 are eccentrically secured upon the plate 15' and they will permit the device to accommodate a ladder leg of abnormal narrowness inasmuch .as if the said lugs be turned so that their ends engage the imder' or rear edges of the ladder .legs the distance between the opposed faces or ends of the lugs and the bolt 40 will bevery materially reduced and a narrow leg may he, therefore, effectually secured. If the lugs be turned so that their sides engage the edges of the ladder leg, of course,,a--wide ladder leg may be accommodated. If the upper lug be turned so that its .side engages the ladder leg, while the lower lug is at the same time turned so that its .end engages the ladderleg, the plate 15 and the extension leg carried thereby will beset out of parallelism-with the ladder leg, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and this 7 arrangement will permit the ladder to be used -in places where the: available base area or supporting area is contracted.

With reference to the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be -observed that a 6 .la'dder attachment constructed in acc'ord- 5. A ladder attachment comprising a body ance with this invention may be readily and conveniently applied to ladders of various as illustrated in Fig. '2, be applied to a straight ladder 50 so that the straight lad- 1 der may be mounted on the adjacent treads of astaircase 52 or upon any other uneven surface. However, each side of the straight ladder 50 may be provided with one ofthe attachments so as to lengthen the effective length of the ladder. Since the attachment :iscapable of a variety of adjustments, the

height of the ladder may be exactly regu lated. Further, the ladder attachment may be convenientlyapplied to ladders having legs of'various thicknesses since the bolt28 styles. ,For instance, the attachment may,

may be extended through either of the open- :the spirit of the invention .andthe scope of what is claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

plate, means for securing-said plate to a ladder leg, an extension leg, means for securing the extension leg to the plate, and lugs eccentrically pivoted upon the plate and bearing against the ladder leg to determine the angular relation of the ladder leg to the extension leg.

2.. A ladder attachment comprising a plate, means for securing said plate to a 1. A -ladde-r attachment comprising a ladderleg, .an extension leg adjustably secured-to the plate, and lugs secured eccentrically to the, plate at the ends thereof and bearing against the edge of the ladder leg to determine the angular relation of the same to the extension leg;

3. A ladder attachment comprising a plate adapted to rest against a side of a ladder leg, a tongue carried by saidplate and enga ing .around an edge of the ladder leg and the'side of theleg remote from the plate, means for adjusting said tongue to the width and thickness of the ladder leg, and an extension leg carried by said plate.

4t. A ladder attachment comprising a late adapted to rest against a side of a ladder leg, a Etongue carried by said plate and engaging around an edge of the ladder leg and the side of'said leg remote from the plate, means foradjustmg saidtongue tothe width and thickness of the ladder leg, a bracket carried by the plate to engage the edge of the ladder leg :remote from the edge plate, guiding brackets carried by the ends of said body plate, an extension leg extending through said guiding brackets and adjustably connected to the same, a laterally projecting apertured ear carried by said body plate, an L-shaped tongue adjustably connected to said ear, and a; bracket carried by the body plate and adapted to be engaged by said tongue.

6. A ladder attachment comprising a body plate, an extension leg adjustably connected to said body plate whereby the effective length of the same may be Varied, an L- shaped tongue carried by said body plate, and a bracket carried by said body plate and adapted to be engaged by said tongue.

7 A ladder attachment comprising a body plate, a pair of laterally projecting ears carried by the intermediate portion of said body plate, an L-shaped tongue having a stud bolt extended through one of said ears, and a bracket carried by the other ear and adapted to be engaged by said tongue.

8. A ladder attachment comprising a body plate, a pair of brackets carried by said body plate, an extension leg adjustably connected to said brackets, an L-shaped tongue carried by said body plate and adapted for engaging a ladder leg, an adjusting bolt carried by said tongue, and a pair of lugs carried by said body plate and cooperating with said bolt in securing the extension leg in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

HOMER HUNT. [n 8. 

